What Motivates Me

What do you value the most?

a. Money

b. Power

c. Other

This recent iClicker question reflects a question I have put much thought into, particularly upon entering university and taking my first steps as a business student.

For the most part, I believe that those who claim to adhere to the trite saying “money can’t buy you business” and be perfectly happy living a minimalistic life without too much spare money have never experienced poverty. In fact, I have noticed that most of the people who tell me they do not need money lead rather privileged lives.

While money is important, it certainly is not everything. Making a reasonable amount of it would allow in one way me to fulfill my ultimate goals of contributing back to society and helping the less fortunate as well as seeking life’s greatest pleasures such as experiencing firsthand cultural and geographic diversity through travel. For me, happiness is ultimately of much higher value than extrinsic rewards and in this light, money serves simply as a means not an end. I do want to make money and I have no shame in saying so, but as Michael Kwan points out in his blog, “Chase money. There’s nothing wrong with that. But chase it with a very specific purpose in mind.”

With these thoughts in mind, I reached for my iClicker and confidently clicked c. other as my answer.